Fated Mates: Book 1 of the True Mates Series

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek: Blood Moon: Book 2 of the True Mates Series

  Other Books by Alicia Montgomery

  Fated Mates

  Book 1 of the True Mates Series

  By

  Alicia Montgomery

  Copyright © 2016 Alicia Montgomery

  All rights reserved.

  For J. My love, my heart, my world.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The club was dark and the music, terrible. Just like any New York club on Friday night, Alynna Chase thought. Blood Moon wasn’t the type of place where she hung out regularly. It was, after all, one of Manhattan’s hottest nightclubs and she normally wouldn’t be able to afford such a place or even get in. Of course, a flash of T&A helped usher her through the door. Her eyes grew wide at the price of a single drink. Well, I’m not paying, she thought as she brushed her long dark hair off her shoulders. She smoothed down the fabric of her very short pink dress and looked around at the other girls around her, all similarly dressed in their flashy, even shorter dresses. Gotta blend in, after all. But, she wasn’t here to snag a guy.

  Well, technically, she was. Male, in his early 40s, 5 feet, 10 inches in height, thinning hair, with a slight paunch. Not her type exactly, but it was similar to many of the guys she had to tail as a private investigator. It was a suspicious wife of course, as these stories go. Came to her office the day before yesterday, afraid he was cheating on her. Wife’s instincts were probably correct. Chances are, when someone suspects their spouse of cheating, they almost always are. Despite being only 22 years old, Alynna had been in the business for almost 4 years and she could attest to this truth.

  Ah, there he is, she thought, as she took a sip of her beer. She watched as her target – a Mr. Greg Truman – approach a young, svelte woman about half his age. Her bright green eyes tracked his every movement, watching as he slid a drink over to her, smiled and leaned in close to say something. That wasn’t a crime, or proof of cheating, but definitely a sign. She would just have to wait until Mr. Truman sealed the deal and then try to follow them. He seemed like a classy guy, and quite well off, so he’d probably spring for a hotel room instead of getting a back alley blowjob. This business was making her too cynical.

  After 20 minutes of watching Greg Truman flirt with the younger woman, she was getting antsy. Also, her drink was getting warm and she needed something to cool her off.

  “A glass of ice water, please,” she asked the bartender.

  He turned around and flashed her a smile. Cute, she thought. Well, everyone who worked in this club was insanely hot, from the beefy bouncer out front to the skimpily dressed waitresses. She was only human, of course, and she noticed these things. Many of New York’s top clubs employed only the best-looking people.

  The bartender handed her a glass of cold water. As she wrapped her hand around the glass, she could feel the condensation forming on the outside, wetting her palms. Alynna took a casual swig, keeping her eyes on her mark. Mr. Truman was definitely getting cozier with that sweet young thing. A real slick one. She could tell by the girl’s body language that she was definitely interested in what he had to offer.

  “Typical,” she snorted to no one in particular. Greg Truman wasn’t anything to look at – maybe once long ago he was good looking – but he was slick and was rich, one of those Wall Street hedge fund guys. Girls could smell the money oozing from him and it didn’t hurt that he was charming.

  “Excuse me,” a low baritone said from behind. “Is this spot taken?”

  Alynna was shook out of her thoughts reverie by the deep, rumbling tone. Before she even turned around to face the speaker, a strange scent permeated the air. It wasn’t bad, but she couldn’t quite identify what it was. She breathed in deep – it was male, spicy, with tinges of an earthy, after-rain scent.

  “What do you—“ She stopped suddenly as a pair of hazel eyes stared back at her. They were almost luminous in the dim light of the club. The scent – it was weird, but it grew stronger. Not like a suffocating perfume, but it seemed to fill her and she had a hard time concentrating on anything except the tall, handsome man in front of her. “It’s…fine?” she managed to choke out.

  The man moved closer, staking out the spot beside her on the bar. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so forward. I mean, a girl like you at a club like this…I’m sure you get lots of attention.” He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.

  Alynna wasn’t quite sure how long she stared at him, but then she finally snapped herself out of it. “It’s not…I mean…you can…it’s a free country!” she stammered and took a sip of her ice water. The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to spike and she fanned herself with her hand.

  “Yes, I know,” he said. “I’m--”

  “Alex!” the bartender called out as he came over. “Nice to see you here, bro. Got the night off?”

  “Yeah, Sean, it’s my night off,” he accepted a bottle of beer from the bartender. “How about a drink here for--” he looked meaningfully at Alynna.

  “I’m…uh…Alice,” she fibbed. It’s not like she was an undercover cop, but her reaction to the man – Alex, apparently – made her uneasy. “And no, thanks, I’m fine.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her glass of water. “Not the usual drink around here.”

  “I’m not your usual girl, I guess,” she said. He smiled at her, which, if it was possible, made him look even more handsome.

  “I guess not,” he took a sip of his beer, but his eyes never left her. It unnerved her, but she refused to be intimidated. She squared her shoulders.

  “So, I hate to sound cliché, but…what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

  She nearly choked on her water, sputtering liquid down the front of her dress. Alex tried to help her, but he accidentally knocked her glass from her hand and spilled the rest of the liquid all over her.

  “Oh fuck, Jesus! Sorry!” Alex said in a panicked voice. Sean the bartender laughed out loud, handing him a towel. “Here…let me help…” he tried to wipe her down.

  Alynna grabbed the towel from him angrily, “No, it’s…fine…I’ll be…” she coughed, then wiped the front of her dress. “I’m – shit!” she cursed. Across the room, Greg Truman leaned over and whispered into the girls’ ear. She giggled, then gave him a nod. He finished off his drink and took her by the arm, then led her to the back of the club, towards the exit. “I need to go.”

  “Wait!” Alex grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

  His hand on her arm was warm, sending small shocks up and down her spine. She gasped at the sensation, feeling her knees go weak. A warm sensation flowed through her, getting hotter and hotter. It was like the room was on fire.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, genuine concern on his face. “Are you sick?”

  “I…I don’t know…” she felt dizzy and steadied herself on the bar. What the heck was going on? “What the fuck…my drink?” she looked up at him.

&nb
sp; Alex’s eyes darkened and took her empty glass. He sniffed the rim. “Do you think someone spiked your drink?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t take my eyes off my glass…” she choked out. God, she was burning up, feverish.

  “Shit!” he cursed, as he felt her forehead. She moaned out and recoiled from his touch. “Sean!” he called out. “Did she have any other drink?”

  Sean nodded. “She had a vodka tonic, that’s about it. Hey, is she ok?”

  “I don’t know, but you better give security a call. Might be someone causing trouble,” he turned to the girl. “Alice…are you ok?”

  Alynna heaved, and she felt her stomach roiling. “I think I’m ok! Don’t call anyone. I mean, I just need to get out of here.”

  Alex nodded and took her by the elbow carefully. He sighed in relief when she didn’t recoil from him. Instead, she clung to his arm, allowing him to lead her away.

  She wasn’t sure where he was leading her, but she didn’t care. She felt a little bit better once she got away from the noise and pulsing lights. She closed her eyes and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

  “Feel better?” Alex asked, his face a mask of concern. He stood right in front of her, one arm braced on the wall behind her.

  She nodded, then opened her eyes. “Where am I?” There were three twin beds in the room and several lockers.

  “It’s just the staff break room,” he said. “Do you want me to call a doctor…or a friend? Boyfriend?” He leaned in closer, examining her face.

  “I’m much better now,” she shook her head, then gave him a small smile. “And no. No boyfriend.”

  “Good,” he said in a serious tone. “I wasn’t sure a girl like you would be single.”

  She raised her eyebrow at him. “Not from New York, are you?”

  He laughed, “No. I just moved here from Chicago a couple of months ago. Were my Midwestern sensibilities showing through?”

  “Hmmph,” she huffed. “Something like that.” That same, masculine smell filled the air again, and this time, without the distraction of the club or other smells, it hit her nose sharply. “Shit! Do you smell that?” she felt her temperature spike again, though this time, there was no nausea or dizziness. In fact, she felt almost…tingly. “Do you work here or something?” she asked, looking around again.

  He chuckled. “No, not really. This is kind of a regular hangout for my, uh, workmates and I. My boss is part owner and the bartenders here treat us well.”

  “Ah, I see,” she said. God, was the A/C broken? It’s burning in here. Why was he leaning in so close? Not that she minded. That smell was turning into something…amazing and it grew stronger as he came closer. Was that smell his aftershave or something? She looked up straight into his eyes, which seemed to have changed into a bright, glowing yellow. He also had the strangest expression on his face, which sent shivers through her. “I’m much better. I think I should go,” she saw the door next to them and turned away from him.

  “Don’t!” he said in a low growl. Before she could open the door, she found herself pushed up hard against it, her back against the hard wood.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  Alex said nothing, but instead, pressed his body up against her. He leaned in, nuzzling her neck and letting out a guttural sound. Alynna froze on the spot. She could feel the hard planes of his chest and torso against her own body.

  His lips grazed the soft flesh of her neck, moving up to her jaw, her chin. Finally, his lips claimed hers. Alynna was surprised at the touch of his lips, and perhaps even more surprised that she responded. Her mouth moved against his, opening to let his tongue snake in to mingle with hers. She gasped against his lips when he pressed his hips towards her, his erection evident.

  Alynna lost all thought, her body burning up, both in temperature and with desire. She clawed at him, tugging at his shirt. His hands, meanwhile, roamed her body, cupping her breasts and kneading them through the fabric of her dress. Her nipples hardened and she pushed her body up towards him. His lips moved against hers, practically devouring her mouth.

  Alex’s hands moved under her dress, inching up towards her inner thighs. Alynna gasped into his mouth when his fingers skimmed over her lacy thong, rubbing her dampening pussy through the fabric. She clung desperately to him, her arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled the scrap of lace aside to touch her core. His fingers traced her wet slit, moving up and down, which made her moan out in pleasure. After teasing her for a while, he found her clit. She cried out against his mouth when his fingers started making lazy circles around the hard nub.

  She moved her head back, her long dark hair falling aside to reveal her white neck. Her pulse seemed to throb and he immediately moved to her neck, licking her there.

  Alynna felt him move his lips and bare his teeth. Two points grazed over the skin on her neck, and she opened her mouth to moan. But, what came out was a loud growl and she felt dizzy. She pulled back and gasped in horror. Alex looked up at her with golden glowing eyes, and it looked like the bones underneath his skin were moving on their own. His face was elongating, as if he was growing a snout. He bared his teeth, the canines showing prominently.

  She screamed and tried to push him away. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her to the door.

  “Who are you?” he snarled at her. “Did someone send you here? You must know you can’t just walk into this territory without permission! Which clan do you belong to?”

  “What the fuck is going on? Who – What are you?” she struggled against him.

  “Don’t play dumb!” he snarled. “You hid your scent well, but you can’t deny this!” He lifted her hand to her face.

  Her eyes widened as she looked at her right arm. Much like his face had done earlier, the bones underneath were stretching and crawling. Hair sprouted in patches all over her arm, growing at an alarming pace. Her hands and fingers lengthened, growing out sharp claws. She let out a scream and pushed against him. Then, she blacked out.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Oh God, someone turn off the...sun…” Alynna groaned as she slapped her hand over her eyes. Her head felt like she had been hit a sledgehammer. Over and over again. She let out a groan as her stomach roiled, and she ran to the bathroom in her tiny apartment to retch out what was left of her last meal.

  Flushing the toilet, Alynna slowly stood up, steadying herself on the cold sink. Holy shit! She was fully naked. And wow, how many drinks did she have? Her skin was pale and dry, her hair hanging around her face in dark, stringy strands. She had dark bags under her dull, almost lifeless green eyes. She searched her memories, trying to remember what happened. Was she out on the town with friends? No wait, she didn’t exactly have a lot of friends. None, actually.

  “Fuck!” she slammed her palms on the counter. Greg Truman. Mrs. Truman. She was supposed to track him down and get evidence of cheating for her client. She racked her brains, trying to remember what happened. She followed Truman to Blood Moon, waited by the bar when he chatted up a girl and then…well, shit. Bits and pieces came at her. A handsome smile, golden eyes. Warm hands and then…

  With an annoyed sigh, Alynna grabbed a Tylenol from behind the medicine cabinet, swallowing it then taking a swig of water from the faucet. Was she drugged? Did she drink more than she could remember? She washed her face and then wiped it with a clean towel before heading out of the bathroom.

  She grabbed her robe from her closet and wrapped it around herself. Aside from the headache and blackout memories, she felt…normal. Actually, that awful headache was going away quickly. The miracle of modern drugs.

  “Sorry Mom. Sorry Uncle Gus,” she said, looking at the two pictures on her work desk. One was a pretty, smiling young woman with blonde hair, who was holding a dark-haired toddler. The other was an older man, wearing an old-fashioned fedora and staring into the distance. Uncle Gus taught her everything she knew about the PI business and had been like a father to her. In fact, when
her mom passed away when Alynna was fifteen, Gus had taken her in, since Amanda Chase never spoke of her father. Her mother’s brother was an old bachelor and worked late nights and long hours as private detective, but he fought to get custody of Alynna, despite only having met her three times. Needless to say, her teen years were interesting, and it only seemed natural she would take over for Gus when he died.

  “Don’t worry, old man,” she said, “I won’t disappoint our client. I always get my man, after all.” It was strange to think of Mrs. Truman, as “their” client, seeing as Gus had passed away two years ago due to lung cancer, leaving Alynna to run Chase Private Investigations. She had learned the business, but more important, a good work ethic from Gus. She was only twenty years old when she took over, but she was already been on her own stakeouts since she was seventeen. There was not enough money to go to college, but she already had a career and a business by the time she was eighteen, so she didn’t need a degree.

  Of course, there was not much time for anything else. Most days, she worked for fifteen hours and all she wanted to do when she wrapped up a case was crash in bed for some much-deserved sleep. No time for hobbies, a social life, or even a love life. She wasn’t sure this was Gus and her mom wanted for her, but it was what she had.

  Pushing those thoughts aside, she sat down at her work desk, and tried to figure out how she would salvage this case. In the back of her mind, there was also the mystery of what happened last night, but when you’re a struggling businesswoman, work came first.

  ***

  “Are you alright, dear?” Mary Truman asked as they sat down. “You like…tired?”

  Alynna smiled weakly at her. “It’s part of the job, I’m afraid,” she fibbed. “But, I don’t want to waste any more of your time,” she handed the file over to the older woman.

  Mary Truman was a beautiful, slim woman in her mid-forties. She had an ethereal, almost serene beauty about her, even though she was on the verge of tears. She was also a very sweet woman. Alynna almost wished she had taken the chance and kneed Greg Truman in the balls. Why the hell would a scumbag like Truman cheat on his perfect wife? She mentally shrugged. In her experience, men rarely needed a good excuse.